Yet Another High School Story
by CreativelyIndifferent13
Summary: It is what it is. Reread the title.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey hey hey! First Fanfic here and reviews are always appreciated! ^_^ This is going to be really short, but it's only a start!**

Prologue:

Senior year was supposed to be the greatest thing ever. My parents always told me that senior year was the 'golden year'. It was supposed to be all smiles and laughs and happiness. In a word, perfection. So with all of these 'facts' swirling around in my head, how was I supposed to set my expectations low enough for this? I glance at the boy next to me with only my eyes. Asleep. Why me? Why me of all people? _Sigh. _Please allow me to explain my sad, two-week journey with you.

"Wait, wait, wait, you're moving?"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry. Are you mad?"

"N-no, of course not, I'm very happy for you, Lu-chan."

"Thanks, Levy-chan… that was my dad. He said I have to finish packing."

"Okay, just make sure to call me before you leave."

"I'll make sure of it." That was the last I heard from Lucy, followed by a click and a long, never-ending dial tone.

My best friend is moving away just like that. She didn't even warn me or anything. _Sigh. _I picked up my calendar and drew a path with my finger to the day.

THE day.

This special day was none other than the first day of my senior year in high school. We were supposed to get through this together, Lucy and me. I thought about it for an approximate thirty seconds when I realized that I couldn't remind her of that seemingly insignificant promise. I could never be the one thing that stopped her from going to her dream school.

First of all, it had a substantial writing program, which was what Lucy had been searching for since she was thirteen. In addition, the school's name would look amazing on a college application. How could I hold her back from that?

I'm proud of her, I really am. I just don't know how I'm going to make it through this year without my one greatest friend.

_What is that terrible beeping noise?_

I tossed over, lazily opening my eyes to the familiar blinking red numbers.

_Alarm clock…._

7:00, my same wake-up time for the past three years. I quickly threw on whatever clothes I could find, combed out my messy blue hair and trudged down the stairs.

"Hello, honey," my dad greeted, peering over his eyeglasses.

"Hi," I responded half-heartedly, seating myself across from him at the table.

"Is my princess ready for the first day of school?"

"Not really…."

"Oh, why not?"

"Dad, I already told you, Lu-chan isn't going to school with me anymore."

"That's right, I'm sor-," the slow rumble of the bus engine silenced my father. I sprinted out the door without so much as a goodbye (or breakfast).

Attempting to rush through the bus doors, I didn't realize that someone else was trying to do the exact same thing. Being the petite person I am, I was easily knocked to the ground by the opposing force, my knees hitting the hard sidewalk.

"Ow…." I said quietly, examining the blood trickling down my shins. The culprit in question turned around, only to say, "Watch where you're going, little girl." Then he walked into the bus.

_Little girl? What a jerk…_

I edged my way down the bus aisle, noticing that the seat Lucy and I usually sat at was now occupied by two girls.

_No need to worry, Levy. Just find someone and ask to sit by them. No big deal._

"Levy, we need to get going," the bus driver prodded. Feeling the pressure of eyes on me, I forced my legs to collapse.

"Hello," a voice next to me said strongly. I flinched, and then shifted my head to face the owner of the voice (and her strikingly red hair). I recognized her. Erza Scarlet; she's been on the student council for as long as I can remember.

"H-hi," I responded shakily.

"I'm Erza Scarlet, soon-to-be student body president."

"I'm Levy, Levy McGarden." I looked down and saw that the hem of my dress had begun to absorb the blood on my legs, creating red splotches on the orange fabric.

"That looks pretty bad," Erza commented, inching her head closer to the wounds.

"It's just a little scratch," I lied, trying not to wince at the stinging pain I truly felt.

"How did that even happen?"

"Uh, I bumped into him." I gestured towards the general direction of the guy who basically pushed me out of his way.

"The one with the long hair and piercings?"

I nodded and glanced over, only now realizing how many metallic studs were imbedded in his face. I tried to count how many there actually were, but lost count after eight.

"I wouldn't waste my time if I were you. Just try to avoid him."

"Why is he so angry anyways?" His face had a seemingly ever-present scowl as he gazed out the window with a far-off look.

"He used to attend a rival school of Fairy Tail Academy, Phantom Public School. Last year, some guy decided to go burn the place down. He was arrested, but the school didn't have nearly enough funds to rebuild everything, so many of the students were let into surrounding schools here in Magnolia. Of those schools, Fairy Tail was one of them."

"So why doesn't he just go to a different school? If I hated something that much, I'd try my hardest to change it."

"I don't think it's that simple. I don't know much more about him, but I think there's more to him than meets the eye. I think maybe that's why he has such a rough exterior."

The bus suddenly came to a stop, and everyone stood up and began filing out. I immediately walked to the office to retrieve my schedule for the semester. Seeing that I was placed in Physical Education first thing in the morning wasn't a very pleasant surprise, but I tried to overlook it and focus on the positive.

The first day was as normal as first days go. We didn't actually go to our classes that would happen tomorrow, and to be honest, I'm not looking forward to it. That's NOT NORMAL.

I decided to walk home to clear my mind and start thinking straight. The air contained a subtle hint of heat, making the atmosphere comfortable.

Without bothering to tell my dad how my first day went, I locked myself in my room and picked up my diary. For once, I had absolutely nothing to write about, nothing at all. Then, I thought back to the early morning and looked to where my skin had been forcefully peeled off.

After five minutes, my entire diary entry became centered around the supposed 'bad boy'. Tomorrow would be better… and eventful.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay, I actually got a review! It has inspired me to write on. So I pretty much have the entire plot of this story, I just need to figure out a few details. Also, I realized I forgot to do this in Chapter 1, I do not own Fairy Tail, nor will I ever.**

Wake up. Get ready. Go to school.

It's the same as yesterday except today I was extra careful to not get shoved by mystery people. Today I sat by a relatively new girl, also from Phantom Public School.

"Hi, this is Juvia!" she yelled excitedly as she wove her hands near her face.

"Who's Juvia?" I asked, not quite understanding what she was talking about. She pointed to herself with both of her thumbs and smiled gleefully. So she refers to herself in the third person… interesting.

I introduced myself to the bluenette, and then continued to ask questions to get to know her better.

"So, how was your previous school?" I asked, hoping to get more information out of her than I did from Erza. Almost immediately, a frown came to shape itself on her lips and she grew frozen.

"Juvia doesn't like Phantom as much as she likes Fairy Tail."

"Do you know that guy over there then?" I pointed to the boy again, hoping to get a positive response.

"Oh, yes. That's Gajeel-kun. He used to talk to Juvia, but now he's always alone. It makes Juvia feel sad."

"Uh, why?"

"Gajeel-kun is a very good person once you get to know him, like Juvia did. You just have to be around him for long enough and he'll open up."

_I find that very hard to believe…_

* * *

"Okay class, we will start the semester with one of my personal favorites, dodgeball."

_What? Who starts their Physical Education class with dodgeball? Aren't there physical fitness tests or something less... dodgeball-y?_

While some people cheered in excitement, others (like myself), weren't as enthusiastic. Suddenly, the gym doors were forcefully thrown open.

"Mr. Redfox, how nice of you to join us."

"Whatever." I watched as he unanimatedly shuffled towards the top bleachers where nobody else sat, crossing his arms.

"Now, as I was saying, dodgeball. I'll be picking the teams today and I don't want to hear any complaining, you here?" There was a low mumble of a response from certain people.

Luckily, I was placed with Jet and Droy, my two childhood friends. Why did I ever stop hanging out with them?

"Levy-chan! Stay with me!" they shouted simultaneously, then glared at each other and began fighting about something as trivial as that.

_Oh, that's why..._

The piercing sound of a whistle blowing was the only warning given before some of the more... excited people picked up the rubber balls on the floor and began throwing them in every direction. My first instinct was to cover my face, so that's what I did. When I opened my eyes, I saw that my team was doing exceptionally well, though only Jet, Droy and I were still on our side. I looked to the other side, seeing that the only person on the opposing team was _him. _

The people on the sidelines cheered our names, and soon a look of anger was visible on Gajeel's face. He swiftly picked up two of the balls at his feet and threw them at the same time. Within the blink of an eye, each ball came into contact with Jet and Droy's faces.

"Jet! Droy! Are you alright?" I asked, kneeling down beside them on the floor. Before they even had time to respond, another ball came hurtling in my direction.

A terrible stinging sensation overwhelmed the entire left side of my face and I tried my hardest to not let the tears flow out of my eyes.

Unfortunately, I couldn't help but let a soft whimper escape my mouth as my lips trembled.

"Levy-chan!" Jet and Droy exclaimed after recovering from the blows they received. I just left my hand on my cheek, hiding the large red mark and wiping away the occasional tear.

Gajeel quickly strode out of the building without saying any words of apology, or even bothering to remember our existances. When the doors finally clicked shut, my tears began to flow freely. I sat out after that, contemplating how much worse the day could get.

_That's no way to think, Levy! Things can only get better! _

**A/N: Sorry for this super lame/short chapter! Forgive me! I just wrote this out to show that Gajeel does indeed have problems and doesn't know how to deal with them. I also didn't want to go for the cliche first approach to a high school type story. I don't expect you to review this horrible piece of work, but it would be greatly appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I've decided to write responses to reviews. If that's okay with you. So here we go:**

**Ulcaasi: Only re-reading this now, I do see that Levy and Juvia are a bit OOC, but I only do that so that some parts later on will make sense. As for chapter one, she fell and hurt her knees, and it may not make sense to fall from running into someone, but I needed them to meet SOMEHOW, and that is what my confusing mind came up with. You absolutely make sense, I am going to try to write more descriptively. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Levina: First of all, thanks for reviewing both chapters! You're awesome! I really like your idea for a Princess Diaries type story and will look into that for a new project. Thanks for the idea!**

**Medley Nightfallen: You think my story idea is original? Thank you sooo much, you have no idea how happy that makes me! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Okay, here's the plan. I don't own Fairy Tail, but I'm going to write a high school based story that isn't even close to being the genius of Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay, Levy-chan?" Jet asked for the sixth time, concern in his voice.

"Yes, I'm okay, I'm sure," I answered, smiling. I truly was okay, even more so considering I was going to my favorite class, English. Since I had an AP class, I parted with Jet and Droy and headed into my classroom. I saw that there was only one person in the room, and it wasn't the teacher.

"You again?" he asked, turning around for a short second.

"Um, I think you're in the wrong class. This is advanced placement English." He turned around again, and chuckled. I tilted my head in confusion.

Suddenly, more people began to fill the classroom, so I decided to take my seat.

"Okay class, let's start the day by introducing ourselves. I'm well aware that there is quite a quantity of new students. Let's start at the left side of the room."

Everyone stood up and said their name, and soon the last person was standing.

"I'm Gajeel Refox."

"Oh you're another one of our new students, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." There was a hint of something sarcastic when he spoke, like he didin't even care what the teacher thought.

"Okay everyone, welcome to AP English Four. I hope you all enjoy my class. Now, the first thing we're going to do is a partner project. We want to get to know each other, right?" A low, unenthused roar was everyone's response.

I ended up with Loke, which wasn't bad. I've known him for a year now, so getting to know someone new wasn't exactly applied here. We decided to start working on the project the next day, at the library.

Write a two-page description of your assigned partner. Easy. With everything situated, the bell rung and everyone dispersed. Trying to quickly get to my last class, I scurried out the doorway, only to be unpleasantly surprised by a greeting from the floor.

I looked back to see red eyes glaring down at me. Gajeel, a smirk on his face when he said: "Your shoe's untied." He walked away again. I quickly stood up, brushed myself off and headed to the destination of my next class.

* * *

A confrontation. That's what was necessary for this to stop. It will stop.

I patiently waited outside the school when I saw him.

"Hey!" I stopped, frightened by my own edge. Several people's heads snapped beack at me, but his didn't. I stomped over to his walking figure, roughly grabbing his arm.

"Hey!" I repeated, a little more cautious than the first time.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked exasperatedly, turning around to face me. Only now being this close to him, did I realize that he towered over me by more than just a few inches.

"Why are you being so mean to me?" He laughed.

"It isn't funny, I'm being serious!" My projected voice began drawing a crowd around the two of us.

"How am I being mean to you?" he asked, his voice low, almost like a whisper.

"Well, where do I start? You pushed me down, hit me in the face with a ball, and tripped me! Where were you raised that doing all of that stuff is okay?"

He laughed again.

"First of all, you ran into me, it was a game, and I told you your shoe was untied. So don't blame me for your absent-mindedness." His calm facade was beginning to anger me. He started to walk, that smug smirk present yet again.

"Neanderthal!" I shouted, releasing all of my energy into that one word. He stopped.

He turned to face me, once again.

"Why do you think that I'm mean to you?" he asked, suddenly expressionless.

"Because you're rude, and like to see other people suffer." He scoffed.

"So typical for someone like _you _to say that…"

"Wh-what do you mean someone like me?"

"I mean, someone so 'perfect' and so 'flawless', that you judge people before you even get to know them!"

"I-I do not! And I don't think that I'm perfect!"

"Good, because you're not even close." At that point, I didn't know what to say, my mouth just gaped. I closed my lips and clenched my fists, more angry with myself than with anyone else. I walked onto the bus, my lower lip uncontrollably trembling. I made no eye contact with anyone, and somehow managed to find a seat by myself in the already overcrowded bus. I gazed out the window, and didin't think. My mind was blank.

* * *

I sat outside for three hours, my dad not even bothering to come and check on me. That was normal. He knew when I didn't want to be bothered, and just left me alone. The sun finally started to set, the sky turning an orange-ish, yellow-ish color, and I went inside.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" my dad asked as soon as I shut the door.

"I'm fine, everything's fine," I answered rather monotonously. I could tell that he knew something was wrong, just by that pained look on his face.

"Okay, I made dinner."

"I'm not very hungry."

"Well... goodnight, I guess."

"Goodnight."

I marched up the stairs to my room and sat at the edge of my bed. I effectively started thinking, after hours of nothing.

_Did I offend him? Is that why he was so mad? _

I normally wasn't mean to people. The fact that I did this subconsciously only made matters worse. I could have hurt someone without even noticing it.

But after everything he did to me, should I still apologize?

'Of_ course you should! You're the bigger person (metaphorically)! Apologizing would be the right thing to do,' _I mentally fought with myself.

I did this for another minute or so before reaching a verdict. An apology would be made, and if I'm lucky, will be returned. Then I can go back to living my normal peaceful life...

**A/N: Aaaand, that's it. Sorry I had to break it off again. I'm also sorry that I made Gajeel a smarticle (unless you think that idea is cool, in which case, yay). I just didn't want to do the cliche 'I'm a dumb, stupid guy, I need the smart girl's help' scenario. Understand? Reviews are appreciated but not necessary for me to write on. I have decided that I will finish this project completely. So, yeah... I don't know how to end this now... BYE! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Amazing! I had ten views on chapter three within the first five minutes it was up! I'm shedding tears of joy! :') I LOVE YOU GUYS! Okay, let's get going!**

**Also, I'd like to say that my bestestest friend, Chyanne Quintana is helping me with this story... a lot, so also praise her.**

**Ulcaasi: So, so, so SOOORRRRRRYYY about my spelling mistake. The keyboards at my school (where I type most of this up) are really annoying and don't account for all of my key presses. And I was too eager to get the chapter out to double-check it. Also, I never thought Gajeel was stupid, it's just that it's such a high-school story cliche that it made a permanent, ugly stain in my mind.**

**Great Demon Lord, Edo Natsu and Princess Lucy: First of all thanks for the feedback. Second, are you all the same person? I'm intrigued.**

**piranha pk: Thanks for saying my story is great, it means the world! And I am going to attempt to make my chapters longer.**

**Okaaayyy... let's get this show on the road!**

* * *

Wake up. Getting ready was easy. Heading down stairs was even easier.

"Hello, Levy!" my father addressed me as he usually does. He had that worn smile on his face.

"Are you ready for school?" he asked with a positive-toned voice.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I answered, breathing upwards causing my bangs to blow away from my face.

"I know you'll do great. I mean it's only you're second day. You shouldn't give up hope."

"It's my third day, dad. And I know, I'll keep my head up just like you taught me." I glanced out the window and saw that familiar streak of yellow.

"That's my cue to leave. Are you going to be okay?"

"I don't want you to worry about me."

"But I do worry about you, dad. I always have."

"I'll be fine. Go catch your bus." I left without another word, lopsidedly walking to the bus. My dad never wanted my help, so that wasn't the point right now. I had offended someone and offending people wasn't my thing.

I stared down the bus aisle and saw his face. _Perfect._

I eased my way passed the legs that stuck out and seated myself beside him. His head snapped towards me.

"Still bothering me? Haven't you learned your lesson already?" He asked, turning away from me in what seemed like disgust.

"Yeah, I have, but... I wanted to... apologize," I said in response, strengthening my voice on the last word.

"Apologize for what?"

"For making judgments about you before I knew the facts."

"So why'd you do it?" A short pause.

"Why'd I do what?" An eye roll.

"Do you really have that short of an attention span?"

Offended, I quipped back, "I judged you because you don't look smart! I thought you would be stupid!"

He laughed. A slow, mocking laugh.

"Why are you laughing?!"

"Because you're so awkwardly blunt. It's-"

"I am not blunt!" I yelled, causing a few people to turn their heads towards us. I ignored them, keeping my gaze on him. He had a confident smirk plastered on his face.

"Okay, whatever you say," he replied skeptically, patting my head and messing up my hair in the process.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you should just leave me alone because I don't really care about your damn apology."

"I was just trying to be nice..."

"Well, as far as I know, when apologizing, you usually don't scream at the person that your apology is directed to."

"But it was your fault."

"How was it my fault, I just said that you're blunt. That's a compliment so you shouldn't be getting so pissed off."

I thought about his words for a while, when I finally smoothed out my hair.

"A compliment?" I questioned, cocking my head to the side.

"Yeah, for someone in all of the 'smart' classes, you're kind of stupid." I didn't exactly know how to respond to that, so I just sat still and waited for the bus to come to a stop.

* * *

"Okay class, you have one more day before your partner projects are due. I trust that all of you are working diligently," the teacher said with an enthusiastic voice.

There was yet another low rumble agreement. She allowed us to work on the project during class, but I had already finished the entire assignment. I sat for about ten minutes, playing with my pencil, before I looked up at the other pairs. Most of them were still asking each other questions, having more fun with the assignment than necessary.

"Are you finished too?" I asked Loke, quietly for whatever reason.

"Not yet. I'm kind of stuck." He responded with a smile.

"Want some help?"

"Sure." I silently read over what he had written so far, making mental notes of what he needed to change. I handed his paper back to him, bored yet again. I thought about what Loke had written about me.

_Smart. Short... _I'm sure he hadn't meant to offend me, but...

Suddenly, I was shaken out of my thoughts.

"So, was it okay?" Loke asked, a hopeful smile present on his face.

"Aside from the few spelling mistakes, I'd say it was perfect."

"And I haven't read yours yet, but I'm sure it's beautiful."

"Okay..."

"Can you shut up?" a low voice sounded behind us. I turned around to see Gajeel... yet again.

"Why, what are we doing?" I asked, slightly irritated. What is with this guy? It's like he's always upset about everything...

"You're being annoying," he stated blantantly.

"We're just talking. You have no reason to be getting upset."

"He's just jealous." I looked at Loke, watching him push his blue-tinted glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Of what? How annoying you are?" Gajeel spat back venomously.

"No, that Levy is my partner and you're stuck with... her." I glanced over to Gajeel's partner and immediately understood.

"She hates me but it's not like I care."

"You do care. I can see it in your eyes."

I was then caught in the middle of a very intense stare down.

"You're jealous."

"Nothin' to be jealous of."

"You're jealous of how awesome I am and that Levy is my partner."

"Can you guys just-"

"That is a stupid reason to be jealous of someone!"

"Well then I guess that makes you stupid."

"Don't call me stupid!"

_Well... this is fun..._

**A/N: Sorry, this is still kinda short. Also, I apologize for any errors or things that you didn't like... SO SORRY! **

**Reviews are appreciated, but not necessary for me to write on! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Allo... As some people have commented, I forgot to say who Gajeel's partner was... I guess I just forgot to type the line where that is said. My brain doesn't work right... Guess you'll just have to wait to find out! Okay, onward!**

* * *

"How was your day, sweetie?" my dad asked when I walked through the door.

"Interesting," I responded, at a loss for better words.

"Oh? Is that a good thing?" he asked, peering over his newspaper.

"Sure..."

"You don't sound too sure."

"It was just a bit confusing."

_"Why don't you just go back to _your _partner?" _

_"Because maybe I don't wanna!" _

_"You're just a wimp who's scared of Erza!"_

_"So? Everyone's scared of her. She's a fucking demon!"_

_"I'm not scared of her..."_

_"Sure you're not."_

"So what grade did you get on your writing assignment?" my father asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"A+"

"That's my girl."

"So, did you go to work today?"

"Uh, yeah."

"How was it?"

"What's with the interrogation?"

"I'm just worried about you. That's all."

"I told you that you have nothing to worry about."

"I can't help it."

"Have you spoken to your mother lately?" An awkward silence.

"No."

"She was asking about you."

"That's nice... I'm going to my room now."

"Can you at least call her?"

"I'll think about it." I don't understand why she cares all of sudden...

I stalked up the stairs to my room and got started on my math homework. I couldn't concentrate. No matter how hard I tried, my thoughts kept wandering back to my mother. _Maybe I should just call her... _I picked up my phone and dialed her phone number. I listened to the ring two times before hanging up. I picked up my pencil and began writing again.

* * *

**_The next__ day._**

I found myself sitting in the library for lunch. Curled up in one of the many cushioned chairs in the corner of the room. I was reading _Romeo and Juliet, _when I was suddenly interrupted.

You're such a bookworm." I looked around for the person the voice belonged to.

"Behind you." I tilted my head back and came face to face with Gajeel, crouched down to the level of my chair. I stood up, shocked by the close proximity of our faces, my book falling to the floor.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, picking up the book, attempting to find my page.

"This is a library, so I happen to be looking for a book," he answered, using that tone as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well maybe you should do that instead of bothering me while I'm trying to read." He examined the cover, and scoffed.

"That book where those two idiots kill themselves?"

"With good reasoning."

"Not really."

"It's a romance novel, I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Judging me? Again?"

"Well you kind of declared that you don't see a reason why Romeo and Juliet killed themselves."

"Fine, I do see the reason. It's just that the reason is stupid."

"It was for love. If you truly think that love is stupid, you have a lot to learn."

"And what, you're just the expert on love?"

"I never said that."

"But you implied it."

"I was talking about you, how is that implying anything?"

"You know what never mind. I was looking for a book, so I'm gonna look for it." I watched him walk away for a while before sitting down and reading again.

* * *

Instead of going straight home after school, I walked to the park and sat under one of the big trees. My phone began ringing. I answered without bothering to check who it was.

"Hello," I said half-heartedly.

"Levy-chan!"

"Oh, it's you Lu-chan!"

"Yes, it's me, delivering great news."

"What news?"

"I get to visit for Christmas!"

"Really?! Oh my god, but Christmas is so far away..."

"But I already can't wait!"

"Me either!" Our conversation went on normally, talking about new books, Lucy's in-progress novel.

"So how's school?" she asked.

"Terrible..."

"Huh? That doesn't sound like the Levy I know."

"It's just not very fun without you here."

"You're a good people person, try talking to someone you don't know yet."

"Been there, done that."

"Oh? Who'd you talk to?"

"Well, there's this guy an-"

"A guy?! Oh. My. God. Levy-chan, why didn't you tell me earlier?! This is..."

"Lu-chan-"

"Tell me everything! This is SOOO important! Majorly important! What's he like? Is he cute? Is he nice? How did you meet? What's his favorite book?-"

"LU-CHAN!"

"What?"

"Too many questions..."

"Well, can you blame me? This is-"

"Don't start again. He's not _that _type of guy."

"What do you mean?"

"I wouldn't even call him a friend. He's just... there."

"But you noticed him."

"Yeah, after he more or less pushed me down."

"He what?!"

"No, I take that back. I ran into him and I fell."

"Perfect way to meet someone who may truly care about you in the near future..."

"No, it was the perfect way to meet someone who's rude and inconciderate."

"Sounds like a book I read..."

"Don't bring literature into this. You know those worlds are always infinitely better than ours."

"But still, it could happen."

"What could happen?"

"The overplayed plotline of the misunderstood boy finding solace in the one girl who will listen to him."

"That doesn't happen in real life."

"You never know, it could."

"Why are you so hung up on this?"

"Because, it's the perfect opportunity for something that _usually _only happens in romance novels to come off of the pages and to my very eyes. Or ears."

"That's what movies are for."

"But I don't _know _the people in the movies. This is a real life experience that I reaaallllllyyy want to happen."

"Then go experience it yourself."

"I can't."

"And why not? Is it because of Natsu?"

"I miss him like crazy. I miss all of you so much, you probably can't even imagine how much I do."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Well you never answered any of mine!" We eventually broke out of the conversation and I walked back home. It's nice to know that Lucy hasn't changed at all.

* * *

**Aaaannnnnddd done! Sorry my chapters have stayed the same, short length it's just that the next part is REALLY important and I didn't want to try squeezing it into this chapter. FORGIVE ME! I personally didn't really like this chapter myself, so I'm totally okay if you hate on it. **


	6. Chapter 6

**I love your faces! That is all.**

* * *

"No, this doesn't make any sense!" I yelled in frustration. Rewrite after rewrite, my anger had grown into what it is now.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" my dad asked, concerned.

"I'm fine."

"Why'd you yell?"

"I can't write."

"That isn't true."

"Well, it is today."

"What do you have to write about?"

"A poem for my creative writing class. I don't understand why I even took that class, I'm not creative." I crumpled up yet another piece of paper and gripped my hair tightly.

"Is something bothering you? You're never like this."

"I just can't find a subject."

"Maybe you should call Lucy."

"She's going to be busy all week, I don't want to bother her."

"I'm sure you'll get through this somehow. I have faith in you."

"Thanks dad. I'll come down for dinner in a bit."

"Speaking of dinner..." I looked up at him as he trailed off.

"Yeah?"

"Your mother requested you join her some time next week."

"For dinner?" I asked as though that point weren't made clear already.

"Yes. Just try to make it there."

"I won't like it."

"I'm not asking you to. Please, try to get along with her."

"No promises."

* * *

"How's your poem coming along?" I jumped slightly at the question. I turned around and saw Loke.

"Uh, it's fine," I said, covering up my paper. To be completely honest, this was already the eleventh time that I restarted the whole thing and it seemed to just keep getting worse.

"I wanna read."

"No, that's really not necessary..."

"But, I need an idea for mine. I haven't started yet." Reaching for my paper, Loke also effectively managed to send me tumbling out of my chair.

"What the hell? This is blank."

"Exactly."

"So why didn't you want me to see it?"

"Because... I'm embarrassed that I can't find anything to write about."

"Well I can't either. It's not a big deal. We can help each other."

"Well, okay."

"So obviously we have to start by choosing a topic..."

"I have the feeling that's the only thing I need help with."

"Well, it's a free verse poem, and we can write about anything. We have every option."

"But I really want to pick a topic that will stand out and show that I'm a good writer."

"Then choose something that would be humanly impossible to write about."

"Humanly impossible..."

* * *

"Didja finish?" I flinched slightly, but immediately knew who it was.

"What's it to you?"

"Oh, has the bookworm finally found her edge?"

"Shut up, please."

"Hey I was just wondering if you finally broke through your writer's block."

"Where'd you hear that?"

"From Loke." Damn it, he wasn't supposed to tell anybody!

"Well, I'm better now." I stood up, finally noticing how close Gajeel had been standing.

"Can you move?" I asked, slightly annoyed by that grin on his face.

"I don't know. Maybe if you asked me nicely."

"Fine, can you please move?"

"Nah, I don't think so..."

"Move." I lightly pushed him, earning a laugh. He placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Maybe you should just sit back down."

"Maybe you should leave."

"Maybe I don't wanna."

"Well, maybe I do." I hadn't noticed how loud my voice had escalated until I heard a loud 'shh' from another student.

"Go away," I whisper-yelled, turning my head back to my work.

"C'mon, I just wanna read."

"No."

"What's the point in hiding it? You'll have to read it out loud anyway."

"What? That wasn't part of the assignment."

"Yeah, it was. You need to learn to listen better."

"You're lying."

"Fine, don't believe me. I don't care." He said, finally walking away.

* * *

"Uh, um..."

"Today, Ms. McGarden."

"Fine." I took a sharp, deep breath in. I can't believe he was right.

"Gone are the eyes that watched me grow

The eyes that were able to see into my soul

Together we climbed mountains and made it through the pain

Only to find out that someday it would be forever changed

As you've gotten weaker, I've gotten stronger

Able to take care of myself even though I didn't want to

You'd be proud of my wit, my confidence and my charm

People say I'm just like you and I know all about your charms

The eyes are in my heart, the eyes that saw my soul

But gone are the beautiful eyes, the eyes that watched me grow"* I stopped. Empty applause. That applause that says 'yay, she's done, who's next?' I quickly return to my seat and listen to the others.

The bell rings and school is finally dismissed for the rest of the day. Walking towards the exit, I suddenly felt a hand pulling me back.

"Hey, what gives?" I asked angrily, not looking back, and simply wanting to go home.

"I wanted to talk to you." That voice, that annoying voice that was buzzing at the back of my head until just a few minutes ago. Gajeel.

"What? What could you possibly want?"

"I wanted to ask you about your poem. Is it about your mom?"

"Why would I tell you? I don't have to explain anything."

"But, you seemed really upset after your presentation, like you were mad or something."

"I'm not mad. Look, I really don't want to talk about this here."

"Then how about somewhere else."

"Why are you so hung up on this?"

"Because. I just wanna understand."

_"Dinner with your mother tonight. I don't want her calling me and telling me you bailed." _I really don't want to go...

"Fine, let's go."

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait and short chapter! So sorry! I also left it at a slightly weird place, but I've had bad writers' block for the last couple of weeks and felt that I needed to post this! AGAIN, SORRY!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello! Goodbye!**

* * *

It started off as just an angry storming away, but then I realized that it was only twenty minutes until I was supposed to meet my mom.

"Uh, where are we going?" I asked hesitantly. It had been a while and we were still walking at the same slow and steady pace.

Gajeel shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno."

We finally reached the school's track and Gajeel decided to collapse on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm tired." He patted the space next to him, so I sat down.

"So, what's with your mom?" The question was so sudden; I almost didn't know what he meant.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't act stupid, it won't work on me." I sighed.

"Fine, she's not exactly in my life."

"She's dead?"

"No, she and my dad are divorced. So, now she's an elementary school teacher, with a perfect new family."

"Does she even talk to you?"

"I see her once a month, but only when I can't find a way to get out of it." That's one thing I had never thought over, an excuse.

"I see my dad once a month too," he said, breaking my train of thought.

"Divorce too?"

"No, prison."

"Oh." I didn't know how to respond to that. I could never imagine my dad being locked up. That would mean living with my mother, which was almost never an option.

"Well, what about your mom?" I asked, hoping for a lighter subject.

"I dunno. She left when I was really little. I barely remember what she looks like."

"So who do you live with?"

"Nobody." The answer was almost inevitable. I hate to say, but it wasn't exactly the biggest surprise in the world. Gajeel seemed like the type to be able to carry himself through life with little to no trouble.

"And you're okay with that?"

"I don't exactly have a choice in the matter."

"Well, you could always rent an apartment and find a roommate. At least someone to keep you company."

"I'm perfectly fine on my own!"

"Uh, yeah, right, sorry."

"Don't apologize, I didn't mean to sound angry. It's just that, I've practically taken care of myself since I was like ten, after all these years of people asking me that same question, it gets kind of irritating."

"I know the feeling. Mom left when I was eight, and is only now pretending to care all of a sudden."

"Is that why you take it out in your writing?"

"That, and like I said, I had the worst case of writer's block in history." **(A/N: Like me!)**

"Well, maybe we should work together sometime. I could honestly use all of the help I can get."

"You really think that's a good idea?"

"Sure, why not? I mean, I can get to know you a little better, and vice versa. We wouldn't have to accuse each other of beign judgemental anymore."

"Sounds like a plan. Next assignment for sure, we'll work together." I have no idea how I came to this conclusion. Just a few days ago I couldn't stand this guy, now I'm agreeing to share my writing with him.

"Why were you so mean to me before?" I couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth, I don't know why I said them.

"I wasn't mean to you."

"Yeah, you were always yelling at me and you pushed me down."

"Hey, I thought we agreed that you fell."

"But, you didn't help me up or anything..."

"I didn't know I was supposed to..."

"You weren't supposed to. I was just kind of offended..."

"Well, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize."

"But I feel like I should. I mean, you were so willing to share what was going on with your mom and all." Now that I really thought about it, he's the first person I've told besides Lucy.

"Well, it felt really good to get off my chest considering I was supposed to see her tonight…"

"Wait, so tonight was one of the rare times that you were actually supposed to see her?"

"Yep, but as you can probably tell, I blew her off."

"You sure that was the smartest idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be? I'll just get a very stern phone call in the morning."

"If you say so."

"Well, it seems that this is where we go our separate ways. I'll see you on Monday?" It came as more of a question than a statement.

"Yeah, sure." I awkwardly walked away. What was that? Did I really just spend a whole three hours pouring my heart out to Gajeel? I glanced back and noticed him slowly walking in the opposite direction. I smiled to myself.

As I rounded the street corner leading to my house, I noticed something different. A shiny, black Mercedes parked precariously on the driveway and the front door wide open. I quickly ran the rest of the way and walked in.

"Oh, there you are! I was worried!" Mom.

"What are you doing here?"

"When you didn't show up for dinner I got worried. What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Everything's fine." What did she think she was doing? How could she just show up at dad's house like this?

"Well where were you? You know, when you make a commitment you need to honor it."

"I was with a friend. And you really shouldn't be lecturing me about commitments."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't be stupid! You just left dad and me all alone! I don't even know why you're here. You don't care!"

"You will not speak to me that way!"

"Oh, it's kinda late for that!"

"Levy…" my dad finally intercepted, remaining calm. I breathed in through my nose.

"I just want you to leave. I'm tired; we can settle this another time," I stated quietly, closing my eyes.

"No, we'll settle this now."

"JUST SHUT UP! I HATE YOU!" I stomped back to the door, making sure to slam it with all the power my arm would permit. I ran past the shiny, overly-priced car, sprinting down the street I came from just minutes ago. I don't know where I was running but I made sure to not stop.

How could she?! Why is she suddenly trying to be my parent when she's been gone for all of these years? Especially with dad, after what she did to him. My thoughts were forced to stop there as I ran into something… again. This something was enough to make me fall… again.

"Ouch," I mumbled absentmindedly, brushing the dirt off my hands.

"Are you okay?"

* * *

**Dun, dun...DUN! Just Kidding... okay so, review maybe? Thanksies!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, here it is. Blah...**

* * *

I tilted my head up to see who had spoken. Gajeel, surprise, surprise…

"Wh-What are you doing here?" I asked shakily.

"Walking home, if you'll remember."

"Oh right." He extended a hand out to me because I was still on the ground for some reason. I took it and stood up.

"Where are your shoes? And why are you crying?" I looked down finally taking note of the few scrapes on the soles of my feet. I guess I kicked them off when I was back at the house. How could I not notice that?

"I have the feeling that the two are connected somehow," he inferred. I could only nod in response, afraid that if I spoke more tears would flow out.

"What happened? The last I saw you, you were smiling that weird smile of yours and happily bouncing away." This caused me to smile a bit again.

"It's just, mom," I stuttered, wiping the stray tears away from my face.

"What about your mom?"

"She was there, at my house."

"What…?"

"She was wondering why I didn't show up for dinner and started freaking out about commitments and stuff."

"So, you ran out?"

"I told her I hated her. I didn't have many options."

"Wow… so what are you gonna do?"

"What do you mean?"

"You can't stay out here all night."

"Sure I can. It's not cold out here or anything…"

"That's not what I meant. You need to eventually confront your mom."

"Yeah, just not tonight." I'm aware of myself enough to know that if I tried to say one more word to that woman tonight, I would explode.

"I have faith in you. It'll work out somehow," he said, smiling at me. And not just one of those 'I-couldn't-care-less' smiles, but a genuine one. It was softer, sincere.

"Thanks. I feel so stupid about crying. And I really shouldn't be forcing my problems onto you. I mean, you really don't have to listen if you don't want to. You're not like a counselor or a therapist or anything, so I'd totally understand if you didn't want to talk about it anymore. Unless-"

He quickly wrapped his arms around my body and squeezed it tightly, making me forget what I was babbling about.

"I really don't mind. I wanna help you." I left my arms at my sides while my heart pounded inside of my chest.

"Uh, what are you doing?" I asked, my voice muffled by his shirt.

"Trying to comfort you," he began, releasing me a bit, "but I realize that I probably suck at it and hugging you may have not been the best solution, sorry." He let go of me completely. I almost immediately missed the warmth his hug had given me.

"You don't need to say sorry. You weren't too terrible at it." I blushed slightly.

"You should probably go back home before your dad starts to worry."

"Uh, yeah, see you Monday." I walked away, a warm feeling spreading through my chest.

"Levy, would you care to explain yourself?" I knew the question would be coming. My dad didn't talk to me at all after I got back, so I was expecting questions at the top of the morning.

"Come on, it's the weekend. My brain is still tired," I grumbled, stabbing my plate of pancakes.

"I just want to know where you were yesterday. When Emily showed up last night I couldn't help but think the worst had happened to you."

"But I'm fine. There's no need to worry anymore." He stared at me. One of those really uncomfortable stares that make you want to tear your skin off.

"Fine, I was just with a friend from school. That is the cold, honest truth."

"With Lucy?"

"No, dad. How many times do I have to tell you that Lucy doesn't live here anymore?"

"Oh, right. Well if not Lucy, then who?"

"Gajeel."

"Right… and who is this again?"

"You don't know him."

"Well, I'm hoping for a friendly introduction sometime soon then."

"Is that really necessary, dad?"

"I want to get to know your friends. I want to be a good father…"

"Did Emily force that nonsense into your head? You are a good father, an amazing father. Don't ever think that you aren't. I know that it was difficult to raise me all by yourself, but you never gave up and I'm grateful for that. Just don't listen to her. She's not important."

"Levy, she's your mother. How could you say something like that?"

"I know you love her, but she's moved on, from both of us. I think it's time that we do the same. I know it'll be hard, but it's the only way we can recover."

"Levy…"

"I'll talk with her tonight. I'll sort everything out and make sure that there are no misunderstandings. Anything to stop her from showing up here again." I wasn't going to take no for an answer, and my dad knew that. It's the reason why he didn't question me further.

"Everything will be alright."

I waited patiently in the hospital lobby, waiting for her shift to be over.

"Oh, Levy!" I heard her voice behind me.

"Um, hi. Sorry I didn't call before I came here."

"No, it's fine. I'm off for lunch why don't we grab something to eat?"

"Well, actually-"

"That's why you came right?"

"Um, I suppose I could stay for a while."

"Great, I'll go get us something."

"Super…" She's way too excited. Shouldn't she be yelling at me by now? Though we are at her work. She probably doesn't want to make a scene because she has to keep up that perfect façade around her type.

"Here I got you a sandwich," she said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Oh, thanks. Listen, I really wanted to talk to you about-"

"I know, last night."

"Well-"

"I completely understand, Levy. I realize that I may have overreacted, and I apologize for that."

"That's actually not what I came here to say." A confused look dominated her entire face. Come on, was she really this oblivious? It has to be something more important than just some stupid, little squabble for me to actually come all the way down to her work for.

"Then what is it?" I took one sharp, deep breath in, preparing myself for how she would react, if at all considering where we are.

"I… I don't think that you should come to the house anymore…."

"What?" There it was that one-worded response of confusion. I really hated to repeat myself.

"Dad and I are finally trying to move on and you barging in whenever you please isn't really going to help in the long run." I waited, staring down at my lap.

"So, you just want me out of your lives forever?" she asked, seemingly on the verge of tears. I knew she would try to make me feel guilty about this.

"It's not like you were really talking to us in the first place…"

"I tried my best to support both of you, even after the divorce."

"But you don't need to. Dad's taken care of me for practically my whole life, I don't get why you're trying to care all of a sudden."

"I know I haven't always been around, but I do care, Levy."

"Whatever, do you even have any idea of how much you hurt dad?"

"I know but we've been talking and he's actually-"

"Since when do you and dad talk?"

"We've always kept in touch, more so to-"

"Look, I'd love to stay and chat Emily, but I have important things to do." I stood up from the small table we were sitting at and began to exit the room.

"Levy," she called out once more. I glanced back.

"Next time, I'd appreciate it if you came to me so we could actually talk, and you wouldn't just criticize me the entire time."

* * *

**Aaaaaaaannnnnndddd... there. Review or something.**


	9. Chapter 9

Well, other than my Friday night/Saturday afternoon drama, Sunday was a very boring day, which is why I was so excited to get up this morning. But now that I'm at school, I realized that being in a semi-quiet classroom is just as boring as being stuck in my house. I sighed.

"What's wrong?" Lisanna asked. I had long since finished my assignment and was just awaiting the few people still scribbling in their notebooks.

"Nothing," I lied. As much as I love getting my emotions out of my head and into the open air, Lisanna isn't really one to just listen. She overreacts to say the least.

"Are you sure?" I just nodded my head, opening up my notebook again. I gave my poem another look-over, tracing over the 'A' on it. With one quick movement, I tore the page right off the metal spiral binding them together. I angrily crumpled it up and walked to the trash can to throw it away. When I walked back to my seat, I noticed that almost everyone's eyes were on me.

"What?" I asked shakily, noticing that the bell was going to ring in four, three, two…

I stood up with all of my stuff in my arms trying to get to my locker.

"Levy, wait!" Lisanna yelled down the already buzzing hallway. I reached my locker and fumbled with the lock while also trying to balance all of my books. Lisanna had already caught up to me as I muttered the word 'stupid' under my breath while lightly hitting the locker door.

"You need help?" she asked softly, the loudness of the hall finally dulled down.

"I'm fine," I replied, still trying to open the stupid thing. Suddenly, I felt the weight of my books taken away.

"I said I was-!"

"I'm just trying to help. Don't kill me," Gajeel said teasingly.

"Oh, it's just you."

"Just me? Okay, fine, whatever, I'm not offended." I tried the lock one more time, growling in frustration that it still didn't work.

"Is everything alright?"

"Don't ask her that, it'll just get her more upset," Lisanna interjected, coming up from behind me. I glared at her then turned back to Gajeel.

"It won't open. It's not opening…"

"Here, let me try something. Combination?" Never share your locker combination. It was one of the many rules I learned at freshman orientation.

"Uh, 15, 5, 9, 3." He thumbed through the numbers exactly how I could've sworn I did, and then pulled the lock down. It worked. He put my books on the shelf then closed the locker.

"See, that wasn't so hard," he teased, ruffling my hair. I felt my face heat up yet again.

"If you need help with anything else, you know who to ask," he stated before walking off.

"Aw, Levy-chan has a boyfriend!" Lisanna squealed.

"Lisanna! No, he's just a friend, I swear!"

"Okay, whatever you say, Levy-chan." She giggled. I had the feeling that there was no way of persuading Lisanna otherwise so I didn't say anything more.

"Can we just go to lunch already?"

* * *

"Juvia thinks this class is impossible," Juvia sighed bringing her head down to the table.

"I told you that class was too challenging," Mirajane replied.

"Nonsense, you just have to obtain the correct amount of fighting spirit," Erza said, raising her voice a bit.

"Juvia will try…"

"So, aside from boring classes and… fighting spirit, what else has happened today so far?" Lisanna asked, resting her face on her palms. There was silence. After all it was senior year for us and we were just worrying about having enough credits to graduate.

"Anybody? Okay then, I'll share first," she proclaimed happily, joining her hands together. Everybody leaned in a little to hear what she had to say.

"Levy-chan has a boyfriend!" Eyes went wide, and I figured that I had little to no chance of stopping the conversation that was about to escalate.

"What?!"

"Levy, why didn't you tell us?"

"Who is he?"

"Wait! Let her talk!" Erza's voice dominated the whole table, and the rest of the cafeteria for that matter. Their eyes all came to me again.

"We're just friends," I said plainly.

"I've heard that many times before. Not once has it ever been true," Mira said leaning over the table to look me in the eyes, for intimidation purposes I'm guessing.

"I wouldn't lie though…"

"At least tell us who he is."

"…Gajeel."

"As in Redfox?" I nodded.

"And you like him why?"

"I don't! Ugh, that's my point! Why don't you listen to me?"

"Levy-chan must like bad boys..." I then realized that there wasn't much that I could do to stop the coversation.

"But didn't he push you down on, like, the first day of school?" They all looked at me.

"Well, yeah, but he apologized and-"

"And then she fell in love with him!" They all made some sort of sound of understanding.

* * *

After escaping the clutches of my friends, I decided to head to my next class early. I realized some time last year that if I go to the library I tend to lose interest in my classes, and I gain interest in whatever fictional world I'm reading about. I sit down and sigh, partially from exasperation and partially from exhaustion. Mere seconds later, the door clicked open. I lifted my head up and saw Gajeel walking through the doorway.

"Hey bookworm, what're you doing here?" he asked, sitting down in the chair next to me.

"Just trying to get away from my friends..." I responded in a soft voice.

"Fight?"

"Ha, I wish."

"Come on, tell me what's going on." He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me closer to him, causing my face to heat up that same familiar way as when he hugged me. I thought about it for a while. I don't need to tell him, right? It's completely unnecessary.

"They think that we're dating," I said before I could even try to stop myself. I looked away from him and instead focused on my feet.

"You too?" My head shot up.

"What do you mean?"

"Loke's been bugging me all day... and he's not even my friend... What's wrong with them?"

"I think Mirajane's finally getting to them all."

"Tch, figures that demon woman would be behind all of this..."

"I just don't understand why they're so fascinated..."

"Who knows? They're idiots."

"Hey, don't talk about my friends like that."

"You started it."

"I did not." I instinctively pressed my hands to hs chest, attempting to throw him off his chair. Needless to say, I failed. He grasped my small wrists and smirked. I tried to free myself from his hold, to no avail.

"You're cute when you're angry," he said, making sure to maintain his smirk. I blushed again and stepped back a bit, only to be brought back. In all the confusion, I tripped over my feet and fell over, effectively pushing Gajeel off his chair. I was sprawled on top of him.

"You keep falling! Is gravity like your enemy or something?" he yelled, though he made no attempt to get me off.

"It's not my fault! Every time I fall, you're there. It's your fault!" I yelled back, trying desperately to keep my blush from escalating.

"Love is a brilliant flame!" I turned my head a bit.

"Loke, it's not-" I tried to explain.

"There's no need for excuses. Your secret is safe with me."

* * *

**Another chapter! Hooray! and stuff.**


	10. Chapter 10

"But... those kinds of books are so idiotic..."

"They are not! I love romance novels!"

"They're all so dumb, and cliché..."

"Not all of them! I've read a lot of awesome ones!" The fight may have been stupid, but Gajeel had the nerve to defy my taste in literature. I wasn't going to stand by and take it.

"So, the guy and the girl kiss, then they fight, people try to break them up, but in the end it's perfectly happy. If you're anticipating the whole damn book, what's the point of reading it?" he asked in an almost bored tone.

"Not _all _romance novels are like that! And you forgot about the build-up..." I responded, whispering the last part for some reason.

"The what?"

"The build-up. You know, all the stuff that happens that leads to the two protagonists eventually falling in love..."

"Yeah, but that moment is also inevitable so I figured I didn't have to mention it."

"It's often times the most important part of the storyline, and it happens to be my favorite."

"Wow, and here I thought you'd be cool and like adventure novels and stuff."

"Okay, first, why would you assume that, and secondly, why does reading romance novels make me uncool?" We stopped walking. It was then that we came to the part of the road that split off. One going in the direction of my house, the other in the direction of Gajeel's.

I awkwardly walked down the road that lead to my house, looking back after a few seconds to notice that Gajeel wasn't walking down the opposite street, but was right behind me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, stopping to look at him. He shrugged his shoulders and continued walking. I walked faster to catch up to him, and after a few seconds we reached my house.

"So this is your house?" he asked, gesturing to the general direction of the front door.

"Yeah," I replied simply, opening the unlocked door.

"Dad, I'm home!" I called out. He's usually sitting here waiting for me to get home. I peered outside the window.

"His car's not out back. That's weird."

"Maybe he just went out for a bit," Gajeel suggested, his eyes wandering around the living room.

"No, he would have left a note..."

"Maybe he just forgot." I took that into consideration, but it somehow didn't make sense.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure he's fine." he said with a certain finality.

"Yeah, you're right." I nodded my head to myself in reassurance. Of course my dad is okay. He's a grown man, he can take care of himself. I breathe out slowly.

"So, do I get the grand tour?" Gajeel asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Uh, sure. Just follow me, I guess," I responded, walking up the stairs. Although I told myself that everything was okay, I couldn't keep myself at ease. I kept worrying. After going through a few rooms, my feet led me to my room.

"And this is where I do most of my living," I said half-heartedly, gazing at my light blue painted walls. I walked over to my bed and sat down on the edge of it.

"What's wrong?" Gajeel suddenly asked, sitting next to me.

"Hmm?" I asked, looking at him now.

"Something's bothering you."

"It's just my dad. He's a little forgetful, so when he does stuff like this I can't help but to worry."

"Forgetful? Like how?"

"Walks into rooms and forgets why he's there, keys in the fridge on the regular. But, who doesn't that happen to, right?"

"Yeah, right." Suddenly, there was a crash that sounded like it came from downstairs.

"That must be him," I said, running to the door and down the stairs, Gajeel following me.

"Dad, what happened?" I asked going into the kitchen.

"Oh, I just dropped this bottle," he said, gesturing to the broken glass on the pearl white lineoleum.

"Well, here let me help you clean-"

"I can do this by myself, Levy," he said, raising his voice a bit.

"I just wanted to help..."

"I'm sorry. Who's this?" I looked behind me.

"Oh, an introduction is needed here. Dad, this is Gajeel, and Gajeel this is my father."

"Oh, so you're friends?" he asked.

"Yes, dad. Well we're gonna go study."

"We are?" Gajeel asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Oh, before you go, I forgot to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Your brother's coming home to visit this weekend."

"Michael's coming home?" I ask in disbelief. I haven't seen my brother in months because he's a smarty going to one of those big-shot colleges.

"I know two days isn't much but-"

"Nonsense! Two days is just enough! I can't wait!" I screamed, jumping into the air.

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**Okay, so this was short and lame, but I wanted to update so yeah. But... my winter break is starting so you can expect longer, awesomer updates from me... probably. I've still got a bit of writers' block but I'm sure the snow here will create some inspiration. Love all y'all!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for being a terrible updater… My sincerest apologies to the people who actually look forward to reading my story, I don't want to make you wait, it's just that I have limited access to the intergalactic web… I am truly sorry. But hey! :D I made sure that this was an extra longer chapter, so am I forgiven? This one'll be full of little cutesy moments and stuff like that. That was just a warning in advance. It may be OOC, but that's only because I'm not completely over my worst case of writers block yet. Anyway, enough of my pointless blabbing, READ!**

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"So, you and your brother are close?" Gajeel asked when we were back upstairs.

"Like you wouldn't believe, we used to hang out all the time before he left," I responded, feeling a twinge of sadness toward the end of the statement.

"You miss him?"

"A lot, but I'm glad that he's pursuing his dream of becoming an engineer." He was quiet to that. It only struck me now that two of the people most important in my life weren't exactly here right now, first Michael and then Lucy…

It was almost as if my laptop had heard me, because it blipped in that familiar way it had almost every day this month. I scurried to my desk and opened it up revealing my Skype page.

"Hi Levy! Oh my god, you will not believe what happened today. So, I was just calmly sitting at the table, eating breakfast, right? When all of a sudden- I'm talking too fast aren't I?" she said quickly, probably breaking a record of some sort.

"Just a little bit, but I wanna know what happened so tell me!" I responded eagerly. The stories Lucy told of her days at school were always so interesting that I couldn't help but to listen to her babble on and on about people I didn't even know.

"So, I was eating breakfast when I got a phone call from your brother."

"You talked to Michael?" I was confused. Why would he call Lucy? He barely even keeps in touch with me.

"Yeah, but that's not the amazing part. He told me to keep it a secret, but I don't think I can, so I'm gonna tell you!"

"Then tell me already!

"I'm flying over to Magnolia this weekend!" I sat there for a second, letting my brain understand what she just said. Then I screamed. Loudly.

"How, when, what?!" I spluttered, unable to make complete sentences.

"Michael bought me a ticket, and I know I'll have to pay him back someday, but it is all well worth it. Michael knew how much you missed both of us so he decided it would be better if we visited you together."

"This is perfect! There is so much I want to tell you in person, so many people I want you to meet!..." I turned my head slightly to the left, my peripheral vision allowing me to see a rather ticked off Gajeel.

"Speaking of, you can actually meet someone right now," I said, walking towards Gajeel then grabbing his arm.

"What," he questioned, confusion evident in his voice, "but I don't wanna." His few feeble attempts at protesting did him no good as I dragged him in front of the laptop screen.

"Uh, okay, hello. Your name?" Lucy asked nervously. He stood for a while before sighing.

"Gajeel," he replied simply, sighing again.

"Oh, so you're the one that-," Lucy began before I stopped her.

"Ha, yeah sure enough. Look, uh, I'll call you later this evening so we can discuss more, okay?"

"But I was just-"

"Yeah, I know. Later, okay?"

"Fine, later for sure." She signed off first which was an immediate sign that I had done something wrong, when in fact I hadn't really done anything. She was the one about to go talk about someone right in front of said person. I thought she had more tact than that…

"Who was I just talking to?" Gajeel asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"My best friend, Lucy."

"I thought I was your best friend."

"Very funny."

"So where is this best friend of yours? I've never seen her before."

"She moved away at the beginning of the school year. Moving away to go to a different school during your senior year. I can't even imagine doing that, but it's what she wanted so I support her."

"Wow that is so touching…"

"Would you stop being so sarcastic? It was really difficult for me to accept the fact that my best friend wasn't going to be spending senior year with me. I felt so alone…"

"Oh, so that's why you were so vulnerable the entire first week of school…"

"I wasn't vulnerable, I was just confused. I didn't know what to do when she left, but then it all worked out. I realized that I had plenty of other friends like Jet and Droy, and Lisanna and Mira. I even made a few new acquaintances."

"Oh, so I'm an acquaintance? Just when I was starting to think that we were really good friends…"

"You're more of a writing buddy."

"Have you already forgotten about when I helped you avoid your beast of a mother?"

"In the long run that didn't exactly help me. She showed up at my house, worried like she had a right to be, and then yelled at me."

"But then… you sprinted away from home and had just enough luck to run into me in the process."

"Lucky? I ended up falling again, and my feet were so scraped up that they went numb when I got home."

"Like it's my fault you ran away without checking your feet for shoes first. And as I remember, you were crying and I comforted you, so I think I deserve some recognition."

"Recognition? I said thank you when it happened. I think that's enough." He scoffed slightly, rolling his eyes. His mind seemed to wander elsewhere, his usually stoic scowl replaced by something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"And what was all of that nonsense with your little friend, why'd you cut her off the way you did?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, failing at being discreet.

"She was gonna say something about me."

"No, she wasn't. You're crazy."

"You're the crazy one. What did you tell her about me? Is it really that bad?"

"I just told her that you pushed me down, which happened ages ago, so can you just drop the subject?"

"No, because that wasn't all you told her. You wouldn't have freaked out the way you did."

"I freak out over everything; it's no big deal, really."

"Fine, don't tell me. I'll end up finding out anyway, but it would be less trouble if you just told me."

"Challenges are fun." He didn't answer but the look on his face let me know that I had pissed him off.

"I win," I smugly added after a few seconds of silence.

"I didn't realize that this was a win or lose battle. I would've kept going on," he said, looking directly at me.

"You would've only wasted more time, still losing in the end."

"You seem pretty confident about that, coming from someone who ended a fight with, 'challenges are fun'."

"Oh, like you could've come up with anything to say to that."

"That's easy. I would just say that you are a challenge." I blinked twice.

"How am I a challenge?" I asked, outraged in smallest way.

"See? I just got you all riled up again. I wanted you to simmer."

"Well, I'm not going to 'simmer' now, am I?"

"You seriously need to calm down. It was just a little teasing remark that doesn't even make any sense."

"Just a teasing comment?" He nodded assuredly and I began to breathe a little.

"But, you are a challenge in that you always have to win. I didn't realize you had so much competitive edge in you…"

"I am _not _competitive. I just don't like to be wrong."

"Exactly, you think you're always right, which is far from ever being true."

"Well, you're not perfect either."

"I didn't say I was. It's just that everyone has some margin of human error, you're no exception."

"I didn't say that I was! Ugh, you're not listening to me!"

"Maybe now you know how I feel." I was quiet, contemplating what he had meant by that.

"I think I now have every right to say this. I win," he said proudly, whispering the last to words into my ear. I hit his arm as hard as I could, but like most of my punches, it didn't do much.

"Cute," he said, smirking and pushing me back a little. I quickly jerked my head in the direction opposite of Gajeel, attempting to hide the blush I was sure was on my cheeks.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked of my sudden reaction.

"I-I'm fine. I'm just fine!" I replied frantically, stuttering a bit. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards him, his face mere inches away from mine.

"Whoa, your face is really red," he said, moving his hand from my shoulder to my cheek, "and hot."

"Yeah, that happens sometimes."

"Huh, that's weird." He kept his palm pressed to my face for a few seconds longer before dropping his hand to his side and casually looking away. How can he be so nonchalant about everything?! I looked at him from the corner of my eye.

"Uh, hey," I started out, not quite sure where I was going with the conversation.

"Yeah," he replied expectantly. Well, now what?

"I, uh, wanted to know if, maybe…"

"Maybe what, come on, spit it out, woman!" I fidgeted uncomfortably under his scrutiny.

"Uh, never mind!" I blurted out, moving further away from him.

"You're so weird. If you wanna say something then you should just say it. There's no reason to be scared or anything."

"But, I don't even know what I was going to say. I just wanted to talk to you…" I said, trailing off towards the end of my sentence.

"Well why didn't you just say so, shrimp?" he asked, ruffling my hair and making me blush for what felt like the millionth time today.

"So, what's on your mind?" he asked, getting closer to me yet again. I instinctively moved backwards once more, my shoulders finally hitting the wall behind me.

"Why are you so jumpy all of a sudden?" he asked, leaning over me.

"I'm not jumpy, just a little nervous," I responded, resting my head against the wall.

"Nervous? Why?" What was I supposed to tell him? I'm so nervous because you're invading my personal space? I looked at him, his face close to mine like it had been just a few minutes ago. My eyes wandered around his face, my sight finally settling on the piercings below his lip.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked, a smirk forming on his face.

"Why do you have so many piercings?" I asked, poking one of the many metal studs protruding his dark skin.

"My dad gave them to me when I was really little. Even though he really fucked up this time around, they help me remember what he was like back then…"

"Aw, that's so sweet," I said before thinking about it.

"Hey now, I don't want you thinking that I'm getting all soft, because I'm not."

"What? You have a reputation to protect?"

"I don't care about what people think. It's just not who I am."

"Okay, whatever you say. I just think that you could be a lot more sociable if you were more in touch with your emotions," I said in a joking voice.

"Sociable? I don't need to be sociable."

"Everyone needs to be sociable."

"Not me, I have all the friends I need. And why socialize with people who I don't really want to get to know?

"Because it's fun..?

"For you I guess...So you gonna tell me what you meant … um cut off earlier or am I gonna have to find out myself?

"That depends," I began, "what will you tell me in return?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, a confused look dominating his face.

"I wanna know something too, if I deem it worthy enough for me to reveal what I told Lucy, then I will."

"And how do I know that you won't just lie to avoid telling me."

"I won't, I promise."

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

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**And the plot thickens! Dun…..dun…..DUN! :D**

**STAY TUNED! Please review… or something… and P.S. please try not to be too harsh when reviewing, my emotions are everywhere right now (stupid family problems) and I really don't know how much I can take… *lameness over**


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